Cultural Differences (Feb 14)

Cultural differences as I am learning them…

1.       It is not required by law to have a smoke alarm in a French home (at least my house doesn’t have one).

2.       At a grocery store, one retrieves their grocery cart outside in the middle of a parking lot and either uses a grocery store “coin” provided by the store or a euro to unlock the cart for use. After you have loaded your groceries, you put the cart back and receive your grocery store coin or euro back. It is the way to properly ensure one puts back their cart neatly.

3.       Meals are a big deal here. Lunch and dinner are big affaires with a good quality home-cooked meal if one is at home. The meal consists of good food, wine, and conversation. Bread and cheese after the meal and then dessert if one prefers.

4.       Driving is extremely different:

a.       The roads are narrow. You drive in the middle of the road until you see another car approach.

b.      When you are driving, you usually yield to a person turning onto the road from the right (unless a sign tells you to not do so). I don’t think I will ever get used to this rule.

c.       Most of the time, roads have dotted white lines, which means cars can legally pass whenever they want (even on narrow, curvy roads).

d.      Any road not labeled with a speed limit automatically can go 90 km/h (55 mph), and some of these roads definitely should not be allowed to do so.

e.      Parking is free for all here. I don’t think parking tickets exist; at least in my village. People park WHEREVER they want. Although, I think it is different in a big city like Paris.

5.       Wine is cheap and good. The dad of my family told me if you spend 4 euros on a bottle, you ensure a good bottle, 8 euros even better, and 15 euros you will definitely have an excellent bottle.

6.       France absolutely does not allow GMO’s (genetically modified foods). Correction: France doesn’t produce GMO’s, but they import them. This is why the dad refuses to by fruits and veggies from out the country most of the time.

7.       When French people eat, they completely clean their plates (wipe it clean with a piece of bread and eat it).

8.       I have noticed that light switches are sometimes outside rooms (particularly bathrooms). To me, this seems stupid because someone could decide to be a butt and make you shower in the dark!

9.       Maybe you have heard the analogy that Americans are like peaches, French are like coconuts. Meaning it is easy to get to know an American but hard to become true friends (soft flesh, hard pit), while it is hard to befriend a French person, but when you do, they have your back in any situation (hard shell, soft flesh). My French friends have shown me so much compassion while I have been here, and I am in the best hands!

10.   School buses are not big and yellow here; they look like your normal bus.

11.   When drinking tea, hot chocolate, (a warm drink in general?), French people use bowls, not mugs!

a.       In addition, you use spoons to eat pies, cakes, etc. not forks?

12.   So every now and then I see cars with bows on them (made from tool) on handles and windshield wipers. I finally asked the girl this morning why people do this, and she told me to celebrate a marriage. I think this is a cool idea.

13.   In France, when you order a pizza, it does not come sliced for you. You have to eat with a knife and fork and cut it yourself. At home, you may use your hands, but it is considered impolite to use your hands while at a restaurant.

14.   I am pretty sure music on the radio is not edited here. I have heard a few English songs on the radio (rarely listen to radio), but they don’t edit the bad words. But I mean it is France, a French speaking country, so why edit English songs? But still it is interesting to me (the kids listen to the radio, and I am sure they are learning bad words. I have heard the girl sing along, and she has said “sexy” and “hell.”  Slightly amusing).

15.   Today I noticed while walking my long walk to the train (I park far away), that the gas tank to most cars here require your car key to open the top as opposed to pressing a button inside the car to open it. About 90% of the cars had the key holes on the top.

16.   In some grocery stores that are two floors, they have escalators that are flat instead of stairs, so it is like a flat incline. That way the cart and you can take the same escalator. It is similar to the fast walking lanes in airports, except an incline.

17.   Sliced bread that comes in packages here don’t have the end pieces!

18.   Moms put plastic coverings over baby carriages for cold/rainy weather. It is a good idea, but I never saw this in America.

19.   When cars sit idle, they are never on with the engine running. French are super obsessed with energy here. The girl tells me all the time to turn the car off, which is annoying. When I am alone, I definitely leave the car running >:] It’s too cold!

20.   The drinks are upside down in drink machines.

21.   When a school bus stops to let children out, cars just drive around the bus to keep going. I guess they don’t care that INNOCENT children are crossing the street.

22.   There are security guards at stores, malls,  grocery stores to make sure you don’t steal. They look so intimidating and make me feel like I am breaking a rule somehow.

23.   I was playing French scrabble the other night with the girl, and I put down “sait,” which the verb conjugation for “he knows.” She told me I couldn’t put conjugated verbs on the board because it was a rule! How weird.